Do Mobile Applications Boost Sales?

The next time you're in a public place, take a look around.  Chances are you'll spot multiple people diddling away on their smart phones and/or tablets and e-readers. From e-mails and text messages to gaming and web browsing, people stay connected to the world through their mobile devices.  Naturally, this boom in mobile devices combined with the need--almost obsession--to stay connected has caused an increase in mobile applications, especially among business owners.  But how does the implementation of mobile applications affect the bottom line? 

                                                                  

Basically, from a business standpoint, there are two reasons you might develop a mobile application.  First, there's the obvious.  You develop an application for your customers.  With so many people using smart phones and other mobile devices, the market is too big to ignore.  By offering a mobile application, you give customers a convenient way to access your services.  The other reason you might develop a mobile application would be for your employees.

Depending on your business, a mobile application for customers will naturally boost sales.  For example, restaurants that use mobile applications to place orders for delivery/pick up, as well as to make reservations, saw a big difference in sales.  But, as you know, not all businesses operate like this.  What about those who generate sales through business-to-business operations?  This is where mobile applications for employees help boost your sales.

If you're in a business-to-business industry, you have sales representatives pitching your goods and services to potential clients.  Naturally, the better the pitch, the more likely they'll make the sale.  With that in mind, you want your representatives to deliver the best pitch they can.  And by offering a mobile application that gives them the information they--and the client--need, you put them in a much better position to make the sale.  With a mobile application, your sales representatives can work on presentations on-the-go.  They can access the information they need to give the client whenever and wherever they please.  Furthermore, with the prevalence of mobile devices, most clients like the convenience and professionalism of these applications.  If your representatives are still handing out glossy sales sheets and brochures, you're behind the curve. 

At the end of the day, whether you develop mobile applications for your customers, for your employees, or for both, you're likely to boost your sales.  It's simply a matter of knowing what type of application you need.